Movie Industry Scrutinizes Dangerous Stunts

August 8, 1986|By Candice Russell, Staff Writer

Have movie stunts gone too far? They certainly did when John Landis directed Twilight Zone: The Movie a few years ago. As a result, three people -- Vic Morrow and two children, ages 6 and 7 -- lost their lives during the middle of nighttime shooting when a stunt involving a helicopter went tragically awry. Five people (including Landis, the coordinator of special effects and the helicopter pilot) have been on trial in Los Angeles since the last week of July for involuntary manslaughter for these deaths. This has given rise to public speculation about the whole subject of creating dangerous feats on film, and it is long overdue.

It was addressed on ABC-TV`s Nightline two weeks ago in the show ``Hollywood on Trial.`` Director and former stuntman Hal Needham was a guest who defended the practice of movie stunts, saying that the final responsibility lies with the stunt person -- no matter what is expected of him or her. You`d expect nothing else, since during the making of Needham`s Cannonball Run Part II stuntwoman Heidi Von Beltz suffered a terrible car accident that left her a quadriplegic for life. After years of litigation, the case finally was settled out of court for $4.5 million.

The bone of contention is whether the public really does need more and more spectacular feats -- cars crashing into rivers, men falling off skyscrapers, high-speed police chases through busy city streets -- to be satisfied. Certainly filmmakers think that`s what moviegoers want. But at what cost? Does one more or less French Connection-style pursuit of the bad guys in a movie really matter in the final analysis?

Even the movies have spoofed the urge to do greater and greater stunts at the risk of stunt people`s lives. The Stunt Man was Richard Rush`s classic comic statement on the topic. Needham directed the funny Hooper with Burt Reynolds as a stuntman drawn against his better judgment to do the impossible. But now there are real-life consequences for stunts that don`t turn out as well as they do in the movies.

According to a stuntman friend with 30 years in the business in films and television, there is a reason why stunts backfire that has nothing to do with daredeviltry or an excess of machismo or just the simple economic urge to be a cooperative employee. It wasn`t even mentioned on Nightline. He blames some tragedies of recent years on drugs -- specifically cocaine. If that is indeed the case, there is a vested interest on the part of both stunt people and filmmakers in keeping the truth quiet for fear of sullying the image of both industries and inviting the kind of crackdown from outside authorities that neither one would welcome.

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Maybe you think you have star potential, but you know your big break`s never going to come. It`s a fantasy. So you project your dreams of stardom on your pet pooch, likening him to another Lassie or Benji or Mike (remember him in Down and Out in Beverly Hills ?)

Now`s your opportunity. The national search is on for 10 talented dogs to ``illustrate`` the movie reviews on the TV program At the Movies starring Rex Reed and Bill Harris. According to executive producer Joseph Antelo, ``We`ll be looking for unique talents and characteristics as well as an ability to display a range of emotions.``

I don`t know if this means your Saint Bernard has to do Hamlet or perform a solo from A Chorus Line. But if you think your dog has the right stuff, send a photo or videotape of the animal with an essay of 100 words or less describing its abilities to: Tribune Entertainment Co., Suite 1833, 435 N. Michigan, Chicago, Ill. 60611. The deadline is Aug. 15, and 10 winners will be chosen on Aug. 26.